This season has been another successful season for the Iona Gaels’ men’s soccer program. In what is becoming a common occurrence for the team, the team was able to get 10 wins this season, marking the second-straight season of this happening and the third in the last five full seasons. The team also was able to clinch a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Tournament berth early on in conference play, marking the third season in a row where the team made the postseason. During the tournament run this year, the Gaels were able to go all the way, beating the Rider Broncs to claim their second MAAC championship.
But before getting there, the Gaels had to finish their regular season. That final game came on Nov. 6, when the team traveled to Jersey City, New Jersey to play the St. Peter’s Peacocks. The Gaels came into Jaroschak Field and left with a 4-0 win, with goals coming from Sergio Gonzalez Fernandez, Bautista Rossi, and Alvaro Mainero. Four days later, the Gaels’ push to the MAAC Championship would begin when they hosted the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers at Mazzella Field. Mount Saint Mary’s was one of the few MAAC teams that the Gaels
didn’t play during the regular season, but a three-game winning streak against the Mountaineers boded well for the Gaels. In front of 246 people, the Gaels put on a dominating effort, getting three times more shots on goal than Mount Saint Mary’s on route to a 3-0 win. The goals in this game came from the aforementioned Rossi as well as Thiago Cagna and Jad Benjelloun. After this game, the MAAC unveiled their award winners for the regular season. In that announcement, Cagna, Fernandez, and Tim Timchenko were named to the All-MAAC First Team, while goalkeeper Fernando Alves Schmelz and Rossi were named to the All-MAAC Second and Third teams respectively. Timchenko was also named MAAC
Defensive Player of the Year, the only Gaels to win an end-of-season individual award. On Nov. 14, the Gaels hosted Marist in the MAAC Championship Tournament semifinal. Much like the game against Mount Saint Mary’s, the Gaels once again dominated, winning the game 3-1. The goals in this game came from Rossi, Fransisco Borla, and Jose Silva. The Gaels would advance to the MAAC Championship game for the third year in a row, this year seeing them host the Rider Broncs on Nov. 17. Going into this game, the Gaels have lost two straight championship games in a row, including the one in 2023 against Rider. Fortunately, the pattern did not repeat for another year. In the fourth minute of overtime, Rossi was able to score a goal that would end the game and give the Gaels the 2024 MAAC Championship. Now, the Gaels will go on to the NCAA Tournament, automatically qualifying after winning the MAAC. The first round of the tournament is a game against Vermont on Nov. 21, with the second round coming on Nov. 24, if they win that game against Vermont.
